Reminiscent
by Kurescent
Summary: Waffle Island was an astounding place to be, but gradually, its citizens stopped caring, and the island itself began to deteriorate. Two twins; named Akari and Takeru have big dreams of owning a farm, thus moving. Will they make it worse, or restore it?
1. Chapter one: Introduction

Woah. __; First fic in a while, to be honest. Lately, I've been in a writing mood...

The first chapter is told in Akari's point of view, because she's going to be the character that appears most in the entire fic. x__x; . And because this is the prologue and introduction. The other chapters will be in third persons point of view. As for couples and pairings, I'm not too sure yet... :/ .

Another note would be that I'll be using most of the original names for the characters. Mainly for the bachelors/bachelorettes and of course, Akari and Takeru. If anyone's confused with the names... Feel free to tell me, and I'll put up a list. ^^;

Bah, I'm kind of nervous to be honest. But - constructive criticism and reviews are loved. (: . It'd be nice to improve my writing style. ^^;

So, without further ado. Here's the 'prologue'. It's not much like a prologue though... but I hope you enjoy?

* * *

The sun was out shining today; its magnificent rays were gently shining upon the island we were heading to. Well, at least that was how I saw it from my standing point.

I was sitting on the deck of an average sized boat along with my twin brother. Placed in my hands was a brochure my brother and I had found around a month ago. We both discussed about it between us for a fairly long time, before consulting our parents. By the time we had told them, our excitement was way up the roof. We both loved to go to visit farms ever since we were little, and that was exactly what the advertisement was showing. The chance to run our very own farm. The thought of digging into fresh soil to get dirty and taking care of farm animals was appealing. We nearly drove our parents insane, pestering them about it. After all, our eighteenth birthday was in a week, and we were finally legal to leave the house. Now don't think we hate our parents, because we don't. Our family history is very uncanny. Each generation had left their parents to go somewhere else to settle. In that way, our relatives were very distant from us, but it wasn't at all lonely. Heck, I had my brother, mother, and father at that time to keep me company, that I didn't even notice until our parents told us.

Onto the point, our parents were reluctant to let us go at first, but in the end, gave in to us. It helped that there would be the two of us going, because that way, we wouldn't be alone. There were a few things we had to promise to them, but it was all worth it. It's amazing how far annoying can get you. The price for the farm and home were very reasonable, in my parents view, so they got it for us as a present for our birthday. We were so ecstatic, that we packed way before we had to go. And now here we were, on the boat to follow our dreams.

I shifted my feet as soon as my train of thought was gone. I admit it to be one of my bad habits. Leaning on my brother's shoulder, I watched as the waves of the sea were passing by us. I tried to stir up a small conversation with him. The quiet was killing me.

"Hey Takeru, what do you think the townspeople will be like?" I questioned.

Takeru gave a small chuckle at me, as he raised his arms to hold back his head. "Who knows, Akari?" His lips curved into a tiny grin. "I'm sure we both will be able to make new friends for sure."

I raised one of my eyebrows, lifting myself from his shoulder. I flashed him an odd look. "Oh, and by friends, do you mean a girlfriend for yourself?" I let out a giggle afterward, "You have told me that you've been looking for one." The giggle I had let out previously had transformed into a laugh as soon as I saw his face colour turn beet red.

"W-what?!" He had yelled while flustered. He quickly regained his composure. "Well, I can say the same to yourself too. Y-o-u are going to be looking for a boyfriend, aren't you?" He had teased back, spelling out the letters for the first 'you'.

My face became flustered shortly after that, as I swatted him in the arm. "J-just shut up!"

Silence had filled the air at that time, until a chuckle came. It wasn't from either of us to add to that.

"My my, you two are quite the chatterboxes," Pompeii - the boat driver had stated. "Anyway, the island is coming into view now, so you two might want to gather your belongings."

Takeru heaved a sigh as he went to gather both of our suitcases. It didn't stop him from giving me a light punch in the shoulder first though. "I'll get you back later, for doing that." He said, as his lips played a devious smile.

In return to his comment, I stuck out my tongue at him before he turned around. "Let's see you try then!" I said immaturely.

The boat suddenly turned a harsh corner, as I fell down on my butt. A loud 'Ouch!' had escaped from my mouth.

"Sorry for that, missy!" Apologized the man, "On the bright side, we've finally arrived at the island!"

I let out a pout as my brother pulled me back up. We shook our hands with Pascal, "Thanks for taking us here!" We both chorused in appreciation. I don't mean that in sarcasm too, because we truly did feel that way.

The white haired man had disappeared as soon as we said that, leaving with only a single goodbye. We didn't see him go past us… My brother and I exchanged looks. We stood there, dumbfounded. We just realized that we didn't know what to do. I took a grip on my brother's shoulder, as I pointed again to the ad once again.

"We should be going to the Town Hall." I said, repeating the advertisement. "But, this stupid thing doesn't even provide a map!"

I threw the damned thing in frustration, until a very… How should I say this? A very chubby man had appeared in our view.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry for being late. Pascal had just told me of your arrivals!" He grabbed our hands to forcefully shake them. "Nice to meet you! I'm the mayor of this town, Mayor Herbal to be more exact." His cheeks were a cheery pink. The mayor was surely a bit too friendly.

"Oh, um… My name's Akari." I said pointing to myself. I then motioned my finger to my brother. "And this guy here is-"

"Takeru. Pleasure to meet you too." He said cheekily, cutting my sentence off. I flashed an angry glare at him, and boy, did he notice it. I turned to face the mayor again. He then did a certainly weird action.

His hands flew up to his cheeks, "Oh my! Are you two twins? You certainly look very alike!" He gushed. His eyes kept darting back and forth from my brother and I.

"Yes, we are. Thank you for noticing." My brother mumbled politely. He moved from his spot to pick up the ad I had threw to the ground before. "Since you're the mayor, do you mind showing us the way to the ad so we can purchase this?"

"So you two aren't tourists!" Exclaimed the mayor flamboyantly. "It's nice to have some new residents after a while! Now come, let me show you the way." He took hold of both of our wrists with his large and sweaty hands as he pulled us along.

We were not amused .

-----

"So you two want the town plot?"

"Yep!" The both of us replied at the same time. "It's in the middle of everything, so we find it convenient."

"You two are quite smart!" He let out a hearty laugh, patting us both on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to say that your farm won't be ready for another three days though." He added. His mood was miserable at that moment, and seemed to turn out for the better later. "You two can stay at my house in the time being!" … What did he have, mood swings?

Realization finally hit us then. Our faces both paled.

"Oh come on, I won't bite! My house is spacious, and I have a son around your age. He won't mind a little bit of company for a short while of time!"

No. That just couldn't be. Living three days… With this… … Person. Wait. Wait. He said he had a son, right? Was he the same? Like over friendly, moody, and a jumping piece of large flesh?

"Okay, let's hurry along!" He said, before dragging us along again. "It's getting late~"

My brother just let out a dramatic pose, as if something climatic was going to happen.

Oh no. Just, oh no…

----

Maybe we were over exaggerating just a bit. Okay, that didn't sound right. We were over exaggerating a lot. Herbal wasn't that bad. We just needed to get used to him a bit, that's all. We were sitting at the dinner table. He was showing us the map of the island, until we heard up coming footsteps. Probably his son… I was kind of curious to see what he was like, but most likely, I shouldn't be expecting much coming from someone whose father was Herbal. As he took his final step, I could see that he was… slender. I looked up to see his face, meeting his eyes. Woah. I was a bit taken aback. That was way unexpected. He gave a grunt, as he turned his head.

"I heard some noises so I came downstairs. I didn't know we would be having guests tonight Father." He stated his eyes were not giving my brother and I another glance.

"Sorry Gil, but they're newcomers with nowhere to go until their house is built, where else would be better to stay than our own?"

I could see that this 'Gil' guy was gritting his teeth. Did he hate us at first glance? That disheartened me to say the least. "Did it ever occur to you that there's an inn that's a mere block away from our house?"

I furrowed my brows together. It wasn't exactly polite to eavesdrop, but hell, they were loud. I stood up, with a frown clearly evident on my face. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Mayor, but if your _son _feels so strongly about our staying, I'm sure it would be better for us to go to the Inn."

Gil seemed to get even madder as he stared me straight in the eye. "Just stay." He said as if it were a command, as he spun on his heel to march back into his room.

I plopped back down into my seat. That guy seriously pisses me off! Takeru supported me with a reassuring glance, but I shrugged it off.

"I'm sorry for my son's outburst!" shrieked Herbal a bit worriedly. "He's a very nice man, there must be something troubling him today!"

Jerk. That's what he was. That Gil. "It's perfectly fine, but I still think Takeru and I should go to the inn." A vein popped in my head. No, it wasn't perfectly fine. It was peachy.

"No no no! This cannot be!" Huffed Herbal.

At that moment, we knew that any attempt at escape during the next few days weren't possible.

We were doomed .

-----

Dinner was shortly after we had met that arrogant jerk. The food was great, to be honest. We had spaghetti. Definitely yummy in my tummy! My brother seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself with the meal too. Well, until the stupid priss decided to leave the table in the middle. Were we that terrible? Herbal seemed to frown, and hoped that we both dismissed it. Takeru may have, but I certainly didn't.

After supper, we ended up in the guest room of the house. There was only a single twin bed. Herbal seemed to think that us being siblings that we didn't mind. It bothered me a bit, since I haven't shared a bit with my twin for a long while, but I trusted him enough. A gave a weak smile to my brother, but he was already fast asleep. What a lazy bum, I thought. Taking a peek at the clock that was mounted on the wall, I noticed that it was still only seven p.m. I guess I'd take the time to confront Gil about his attitude. I knocked on his door, as I heard his calling voice. Opening it up, I leaned on the doorframe and made sure to make eye contact with him.

"Hey, you." I mumbled loud enough so only he would hear me. "Do you have a problem with me or my brother?"

"I believe I have the right not to tell you." He said, glaring back at me. "I am busy, so would it be alright for you to leave?"

"Yeah right you're busy. Busy surfing ______!" I crossed my arms in annoyance. "You're such a prick!" I then unfolded them shortly after and softened my gaze a bit. Perhaps I was being a bit too harsh. "Anyway, I just wanted to be friends, want to call a truce?"

"With you? I'd like to refuse the offer." His face seemed to have a look of disbelief. "I wouldn't want your idiocy to rub on me, I am an important man."

"You… You…. $)*!)I!" I spazzed out, I could feel my face heating up.

"Please don't use such vulgar language around me." He said calmly, taking out a book from his shelf to read. "Or maybe you're too uncivilized to do so."

That was the last straw. I slammed the door after hearing a sigh, and returned to my room. Figuring that since I had nothing better to do, I thought I would change into my pyjamas. Since Takeru wasn't awake, I wouldn't have to worry about him. Taking out the plaid clothes, I began to take off the current ones I was wearing. As I reached for the top of the set with my bra still on, the door to the room was suddenly opened. By _him_.

"Look, Akari-" Gil began. Then he had noticed that I was barely clad in any clothing. He shut his mouth immediately.

"EEEK!" I shrieked, then I took a pillow to throw at the door. It closed. "HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF KNOCKING? AND YOU CALL ME UNCIVILIZED!"

My rant was very loud, even I could tell. What I couldn't tell was that a very flustered Gil was standing outside the closed door. He walked back to his room as calmly as he could, to evade the deafening chatter. This did not bother him. This did not bother him.

"- NOW DON'T GET ME STARTED ON YOUR ATTITUDE-"

I was cut off when my brother told me to quiet down. I then snapped back to my senses. Luckily, Takeru was too tired to face the other way. I quickly put on the top and bottom, and collapsed on the floor with a small thud. I could feel a migraine coming on.

Gil was _not _good for my mind.

-----

" 'Morning Akari!" Beamed a boy, whose face was blurry to me at the moment. I rubbed my eyes, until the picture came clearer. It was my brother, obviously.

"Morning Takeru…" I let out a yawn. He sure was up early today. Most likely it was because he slept in early yesterday.

"Come on sis." Said Takeru, as he pulled on my arm. "Herbal said that you didn't have to get changed yet, we're just going to have breakfast."

I was dragged yet again. This had been happening a lot lately. But before we left the door, I took a peek at the clock. It read 8 a.m. Oh my goddess. Why were we up so early?

We arrived at the dining table; as Takeru pulled me down to sit next to him. Herbal and _Gil_ were already seated. The incident that happened last night seemed to be clear off his mind today. Looking in front of me, pancakes, eggs, and bacon were placed on the plate in front of me, along with silverware.

"Sleeping beauty has finally awakened I see." Laughed out Herbal, as a spoonful of eggs went into his mouth.

"Sleeping beauty?" Rhetorted Gil. "Hardly. She's a walking disaster, her hair's a mess."

I scoffed at Gil, way to ruin a day that could've been great. "And why would you be paying attention to my appearance?" I questioned back, raising a brow.

Gil began to mumble something incoherent, and sighed as he went back to his breakfast. Yes! Akari 1 - Gil 0.

It was thirty minutes before we all finished the meal, and Herbal began to dab a napkin on his mouth.

"I was thinking of sending you two over to Rucola today to show you how to farm." He said after the long period of silence. "I spoke to her and she said it was fine, since a pair or two of hands would help. Besides, you two have no experience in farming, right?"

My brother nodded hesitantly, and I joined in. "That would be nice."

Gil gave a chuckle, "The two need as much help as they can get." He mused, as if mocking us. "I need to get to the Town Hall for work now Father, so I'll be seeing you later."

Another of my veins popped, but miraculously, my temper remained under control. "Stupid Gil." I muttered under my breath.

"Souffle Farm is located here." Pointed out Herbal, pulling out a map that was folded in his pocket. He didn't mind his leaving son. "Would you two like to take the map?"

"Yes please." Said Takeru, graciously taking the map. "Let's get going, Akari."

"Yeah sure, but do you think I could go change first?" I said, pointing to my attire.

"Ugh, fine."

Herbal had a pleased smile and then handed over a key to Takeru. "I trust it in your hands for the next few days. I'll be heading out now, so I wish you and your sister luck!"

I rolled my eyes as I continued onwards to the room. Today would most likely be a very long day.

-----

"You guys did pretty good, eh?" Remarked Cresson – who was the man that was teaching us how to farm. "No where near as good enough to run a farm better than mine though." He added in a bit unnecessarily.

"Pfft!" I said, throwing up my arms in defense. "I'll show you! Me and Takeru will surpass you one day, just you wait!"

The man gave a chuckle. He seemed to be amused at my behaviour. "We'll see if you can handle it first."

Then, we had heard Rucola calling us in. My brother and I waved to Cresson to show him we were going to go inside. She was waiting for us by the door, and drew us in to show her counter full of seeds.

"Go ahead you two." She smiled to the two, "Take three bags each. It's payment for helping us around."

Takeru looked at the seeds, before turning to face towards the lady again. "It's fine, Miss Rucola. We're thankful for you and your husband for teaching us how to farm, and that's more than enough."

"Nonsense!" She said, before pushing a basket full of seeds into our arms. "Just take these then, I suppose. They're strawberry seeds, they'll earn you a lot of cash when they're ripe."

I accepted the basket with a thank you, and nudged an elbow into Takeru. What a goody, always trying to get on everyone's good side. That was a positive thing sometimes though. Since he always got us treats and the works from others. He returned the nudge with a sly smirk. It was a good thing Rucola didn't see the little exchange.

"Anyway, we have to be getting back to Herbal's house…" I began, seeing as the clock in front of me read five thirty.

"It's fine, dear." Rucola said, "I told Herbal that you two would be staying for dinner, since a meal would be nice before walking back to Herbal's."

I was a bit reluctant, seeing as my brother was not saying anything. "I guess that would be fine." I mumbled, staring at the wooden floor.

At that precise time, I heard coming footsteps. I turned to see a very pretty girl, who also seemed my age. Hopefully she was nothing like Gil, but that was very unlikely. Her appearance gave off an elegant and polite feel.

"Oh, Anise!" Said Ruth, rushing over to the girl's side to introduce her. "This is my daughter, Anise."

Anise bowed, and gave us a friendly smile. I elbowed Takeru. "Wink wink, nudge nudge." I whisepered quietly, so only he would hear me. He hit me back lightly.

"Hello Anise." Grinned my brother. "I'm Takeru, and my sister here is named Akari."

I could feel the girl felt as if she just felt a wave of relief. Maybe she thought we were unfriendly people. "Nice to meet you, Takeru and Akari. Mother was telling me before that you're staying over for dinner."

"Yes, yes we are…" I responded. My mind instantly flashed to last night. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind." She replied, "It's nice to have some company at the table."

She didn't seem too bad, that Anise girl. I gave it some thought. Maybe I could hang out with her a bit, she could after all, be one of my first female friends on the island.

Beeeeeeeeep!

A loud beep came into my hearing, and Anise's eyes widened. "Oh! The rice is done." She said hurriedly. "Dinner is ready to be served. Mother, do you mind calling Father?"

Rucola nodded at her daughter, and pointed to the dining table that was near the kitchen. "Why don't you two go and sit down?"

We both sat down again. Together. Anise came with a pot of rice and a few dishes, and sat herself down.

"I hope you don't mind that we're having Chinese cusine during dinner today. I picked up its cuisine in a few cooking lessons."

"O-of course not! I love Chinese food!" I stammered. I didn't realize that we were going to be talking to one another so fast. "S-so Anise, do you enjoy farming like your parents?"

She gave it a bit of thought before answering. "Actually, I'm more interested in herbs and medicine…"

Takeru gave a low whistle at this, grinning directly towards her. "Woah! That's pretty cool. I guess I should go to you whenever I feel unwell then."

"Oh no," said Anise a bit shocked, "I think it'd be better for you to see Doctor Won. He's certified, and I'm not."

He gave a laugh at this, "I'll go to you for all my medical needs then, is that more correct to you?" I couldn't help but let out a giggle too. Anise did have a good and cute personality.

Anise blushed lightly; it was a bit easy to tell that she was embarrassed. Before we could continue our light-hearted discussion, her parents arrived on the scene, and then, dinner had commenced.

An hour later, I sat in my seat; very content with the meal I had just eaten. "You're a very good cook Anise! Let's hang out together soon, okay?"

She smiled back at me with a slow nod as she gathered the empty plates, while her parents saw me and my brother off. It was a happy day indeed. Excluding this morning, and possibly later tonight. As the both of us began our walk back, I joked to my brother about Anise.

"She's a nice person, don't you think, Takeru?" I said, pressing onto him.

He was a bit absentminded. The food must've done that to him. "Oh, yeah, she is." He said, coming back to reality. "I don't think she's my type though, to be honest."

"Type as in girlfriend?" I continued.

"Yeah… She'd make a great friend though, I think."

"I see…" I was a bit disappointed by his answer. It wouldn't hurt to marry a girl that was a good of a cook like her. Feeling the outside getting colder and colder by the minute, I took a glance at my brother. "Last one back to Herbal's is a rotten egg!" I yelled out, encouraging my brother to go faster.

He was quite the competitive one.

-----

We both were panting when we got to Herbal's, and we collapsed on the carpet near the door. Both Herbal and Gil were watching T.V.

"Such active kids." Marveled Herbal as he looked over to us. "Gil, you should do more exercise!"

Gil spat out his drink right there, and refrained from glaring down at his father. "I am not overweight, and I'm perfectly healthy."

"If you say so…" said Herbal back at Gil, a bit worriedly. Normal 0 !-- /* Font Definitions */ font-face {font-family:"Bookman Old Style"; panose-1:2 5 6 4 5 5 5 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} font-face {font-family:"Chronicles of a Hero"; panose-1:2 11 6 3 5 3 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ , , {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} , , {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Chronicles of a Hero"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} , , {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-indent:.5in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} 1 {page:Section1;} --

He sure was lucky that he didn't catch that remark. Herbal was dense. Which came to the question. How on Earth was he mayor?

"For tomorrows agenda, I was hoping that you would show Takeru and Angel around, Gil." Herbal said, changing the topic. "They don't know many of the townspeople yet, and that just cannot go unnoticed!"

"I will not go with that person!" Gil and I had said, pointing to one another. I found it rather weird how we both were in sync.

There I shot a dirty look at Gil, and faced Herbal. "I think I'll tour myself around tomorrow, I think I'm capable of it myself."

"If you say so, Akari…" Then, it dawned on him. "OH! My dear Gil and Takeru can become even more acquainted and may even rise to be best friends!"

Takeru felt like a brick hit him. I could tell. I was his twin, right? Gil then narrowed his eyes to turn towards stairs. "I'm going to bed now, good night Father. We'll discuss this tomorrow morning." Yep. Now he was the one ticked off.

"Hm…" said Herbal glancing at his watch, "You and your sister should be going to bed too… It's already 10 p.m."

-----

It was the next day pretty quickly. I waved to my brother as I wished him luck. He would be going with Gil to tour around the island. Better him than me! I fastened the rucksack around my shoulders, as I carefully placed on my running shoes. I would be heading out soon too, and I was thinking of going around the Ganache Mine district today. Locking the door behind me carefully, I felt a sudden rush of energy come to me after seeing the sun.

"What a nice nice day." I said happily to myself. "Now let's just hope I can keep it this way."

I took a look at the map Herbal had given me a few days ago, and smiled to myself contently as I reached the Souffle Farm. I could remember that the place was in the Ganache district. Walking over to the narrower path, I saw a cave. It was intimidating to me, so I didn't dare enter it yet. Maybe some other time, with Takeru, I decided to myself. Right beside the cave, I saw a shop. It had an anvil, so I put one and one together. Must be a blacksmith. As I walked towards it to see who was in, I tripped and fell. Hard.

Over a_ rock_.

My knees had gotten scraped. I winced; the pain was getting to me. As I sat there, a tall and large figure loomed over me. I was a bit scared at first. The guy was very buff.

_Very_.

Scrambling to my feet, I fell back down shortly after. The man in front of me gave a short chuckle.

"I take it you need help?" He asked, pulling me up with his hand.

He had a strong grip, but that was no surprise. "Would you like to take you to Meringue Clinic?" He asked. "You're starting to bleed."

"That would be nice, really." As I was standing, another pain shot up to me. "Eeeek, it seems I got a sprain or broken bone too..."

It became more excruciating. I could feel it throbbing. The man in front of me could clearly see it. "In this case, here, climb onto my back. We'll get there much more faster."

I looked a bit bewildered. "Are you sure about that? I might be heavy."

"Come on, it won't be bad. I lift heavy things all the time."

That I could clearly see. It was evident in his muscle. I climbed on the massive back slowly, and relaxed as he began to walk. I suddenly noticed that I did not know this person, and he was acting a bit kind for a stranger. "By the way, who are you?" I curiously questioned.

"Everyone on the island helps each other out, if you're wondering why I'm doing so now." He answered. "It'd be a bit cold blooded of me to leave you there alone too. On the topic of who I am, I'm Ose." His speech was rather rough, but all in all, he didn't seem like such a bad guy.

"Thanks for helping me, Ose, I'm Akari."

"Heh, no problem."

Our 'journey' continued along rather smoothly, as he set me down on the Clinic's bed. He began to talk to the doctor. His name I think was Won; Anise mentioned him yesterday.

"So you're telling me she tripped over a rock." Mumbled the man with the ponytail in disbelief.

"That's basically it." He responded, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, I have to get back to my job. I heard the girl was staying at Herbal's, so you can just send her there when you're done."

He left afterwards, and the doctor came to examine me. He took out some disinfectant and bandages after taking a look at the damage.

"You're rather careless, aren't you?" He said, his back still faced towards me.

"I'm sorry…" I replied apologetically. "But can we not use the disinfectant? It really hurts." I said, moaning a bit.

At that, his back was no longer turned towards me. "If I don't, you could be looking at just more than a few cuts."

"Aw… But seriously, it hurts so much!"

"Quit whining."

That was the last word spoken between us for a while and as soon as he was done, he went into a cupboard. It held many crutches of various sizes.

"No. You GOT to be kidding me. I will not use crutches." I had pride, and no way in hell was I using those.

Won gave me a stern look, before forcefully placing them in my hands. "Tell me then, how else would you walk with that bad of a sprain?" His arms crossed.

"Ugh… Fine." Then and there, my pride took a hit in the gut. "Am I dismissed yet, doctor?"

"Not yet." He answered before handing me a sheet. "Here are the guidelines for taking care of your sprain, and now, you are dismissed."

I gladly took the paper, as I limped with my crutches. These things were a lot harder to use than I expected. Stumbling a bit on my first few 'jumps', I got used to them after a few tries. They weren't so bad, I thought. Going over to the harbour that I found myself arrive on, I saw an unfamiliar boy, with hair that was a pale blue. His eyes were closed, and a fishing pole was clamped in between his hands. Fishing… I had never tried it before. Walking over to him, I peered over the rail to see if there was anything that was biting.

"Are you new?"

I jumped back a bit, but that didn't really work and all with my crutches.

"O-oh." I said dimly. "Y-yes, I just came to the island a few days ago."

He nodded his head, as his face turned back towards his fishing. Oddly, his eyes were still closed… Did he see anything?

"H-Hey, are you blind?" I asked. I had to. My curiosity was killing me.

The boy fell back in disbelief. "No, I'm not." He said, trying to contain laughter. "I can see perfectly well."

"T-then why are your eyes closed?!" I pointed out.

"My eyes are opened, aren't they? I see you have crutches. An accident, I'm guessing."

Okay. This guy was just weird now… It was obvious his eyes were closed. But how was he able to see?

"… I'm going back to my nap, if you don't mind." He mumbled; as his tone was getting more and more quiet with each word.

"Ah! Before you fall asleep on me, can you tell me your name?" I always had to get the name of a person I just met. Another one of my bad habits.

"Tao."

Then, I lost him. He sure was the heavy sleeper.

-----

I was getting lectured. I knew it. But something was unexpected about the situation. Gil was the one lecturing.

Gil .

The guy who couldn't care less about who I am or what I do. I zoned out after a couple of sentences, and my brother did too. Herbal wasn't back yet. Then, I had to pay attention. Gil slammed the wall behind me angrily.

"Just be more careful next time." He grunted out. "Not that I'm worried about you or anything."

He then pulled a Houdini and was no longer there. That was a bit of a scare, that punching the wall thing. My brother laughed at the fact I was just lectured, but was still quite concerned about my well being. They both were, to my surprise. As I waited for them back at the house, the moment Takeru and Gil saw the white bandages, they nearly blew. There was something that didn't make sense though.

Why Gil?

It confused me a bit, but I brushed it aside. It was probably nothing. Maybe it was because he would get in trouble with Herbal.

Yeah. That had to be it.

As I was scooting closer to Takeru, I soon found myself right beside him. "Hey, we're getting our farm tomorrow…"

"I know that, you dummy." He said. "But you can't expect to be farming out with that injury of yours."

I knew that, obviously. "I know, I know." I replied stubbornly. "I can at least water!"

He shook his head, and frowned. He disapproved of it. That wasn't going to stop me though. Come on, it's not that hard to water. Well, it may be harder than it looks, but in now way does it require leg strength. So I won't be lazing off, and be following Doctor Won's orders. Win-win situation!

"So." Said my brother changing the subject while wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "How was your day today?"

I began to explain, and we both occasionally gave a laugh or two. A blonde haired boy seemed to be watching us with a smile tugged at his lips, but of course we didn't notice at all.

-----

Great. Just great. I received another lecture, except from Herbal this time around. You can't really classify it as a lecture though… I just couldn't put my finger on it. Tossing around my side of the bed, I could hear Takeru's soft breathing. Falling asleep wasn't my specialty. Perhaps I should ask Tao for some tips next time I see him. He seemed to be the perfect candidate to ask that to, seeing as he did it with ease. Reminiscing, the past few days were way eventful. More than back at home with mom and dad for sure. Blinking, it just came to me that tomorrow would be my last day at the Herbal residence.

"Score!" I yelled out in achievement, still lying down on my back.

Then I remembered there was a sleeping person beside me.

Shoot .

-----

Today was our last day in Herbal's house. My brother and I were shoving back our things back into the suitcase to drag downstairs. I felt on top of the world today, despite my leg injury. I no longer had to see that _guy _anymore every single day.

Or at least I hoped so.

"Hey, Akari, can you take this bag?" Called my brother, as he tossed a pack over my way.

I caught it in between my hands, and sent him a nod. I placed the straps through my arms, watching as my brother made the bed. Being injured does have its good points, I suppose.

"Done." He said finally, patting the blanket on the bed. "Now let's get the heck out of here."

I followed him without hesitation. It was strange that we didn't see Herbal there, since he always was around at this time. Instead only Gil stood there. He raised a brow at all the luggage we were carrying before dismissing it.

"Father told me to lead you two to your plot since he was busy." He said finally, motioning towards the doorknob.

I made a funny face at him when his back was turned back, and Takeru let out a single laugh. He turned around immediately to see what we were doing, but didn't catch a thing. His eyes held suspicion. "As I was saying, we should be going." He said bluntly, twisting the knob in his hands. "Then I'll no longer be bothered by two idiots."

"W-why you!" I started, getting heated up. After Takeru clamped my mouth though, I gained back my cool.

Reaching the Caramel River district, Gil halted his steps and pointed towards a building that was about the size of a cottage. "That will be where you will be living from now on." He said, putting his hand back into his pocket.

I didn't know what to say. It was… It was perfect, in my eyes. Sure, we'd do a few remodels during our stay here, but momentarily, it was great. I looked over to Takeru, who also seemed to like what he was seeing. My previously bad mood turned great, as I looked over to Gil.

"Thanks so much! I really appreciate it." I said with a broad smile.

He turned away from me with an 'hmph!' but I it didn't bother me at all. Adrenaline was bubbling in my blood, I could hardly feel the pain my leg made anymore. Facing towards my brother, we both hi-fived each other.

This my friend, was the start of our new life.

On a brand new island, and a different community.

We're looking forward to it, so Goddess, throw anything you want at us!


	2. Chapter two: How Annoying

Aha, welcome to chapter two of this story :3. – I'm so incredibly slow at updating. u__u… But… At least it's semi long...? Well, not really. DX . Thanks to the people who have reviewed so far, I'll do the best in my ability to answer all of them. ^^; Ugh, I just realized how crappy my writing was too. :U ... I ramble way too much. TT^TT;

I swear I was high while writing this too . x_x; My pathetic excuses for humour.

**Midnightxwolfx** – Yaaay, I'm glad you do! X3. It's the people who review that keep me motivated to write more. Hehe, who knows? I haven't really set in the stone who she's going to end up with, but I'll try do subtle hints for every pairing. Maybe I'll do a majority's vote later on?

**XxSuperGrlxx** – Glad it does. :D. I love Gil; he's just so awesome. I agree with you on that, but I find it so cute how awkward he gets when he starts to like you more and more. Thanks for the review!

**NerdybyNature** – Thanks! Like I said in one of my earlier response, it's undecided so far. So anything can happen. XD;. Heck, I have everything except for the romance planned out. I'm kind of leaning towards my two most favourite Akari pairings though. : ;; .

**Warvik **– Aww, thanks! Hehe, I know right? Takeru is so cute, but there aren't many stories with him yet… He's probably one of my most favourite male playable character in all of Harvest Moon. Next to, or slightly lower than Yuuki though. T-T;

**Giant Ninja Panda **– Thank you! Your review somehow made me feel fuzzy inside… I'll be sure to keep on writing, even if I'm so slooow. D: . Who knows? You'll just have to stay in tune to see what happens. (: .

Onto a few notes about chapter two. Starting from now, it's going to be in thirds person, just like I said on chapter one. I'm also going to do a little time skip. I'm sure no one wants to here the introducing line over and over again, so both Akari and Takeru are already acquainted with about everyone on the island. Part of this might because I'm lazy though. x-x;

Now presenting, chapter two. __;

P.S. How would you guys feel about the next chapter being centered around Takeru? X:

* * *

Akari tipped over green, plastic watering can, as she filled it with the water that came from the little well beside her and her brother's garden. Facing towards it, she could smell the fertilizer her brother had just placed on a few hours ago. The smell was horrid, but she did her best to ignore the scent. There were eight rows of little plants sticking up from the fresh soil. All of them were looking healthy and strong. So far so good, she told herself.

She hadn't been doing much these past few days, besides watering and touring around the island. It was dull, she thought to herself. Letting go the watering can in her hand, she left it by the watering hole. Her job here was done… Finally.

"Hey Akari!" shouted a voice that came from behind me. Akari quickly turned around as fast as she could to meet up with a very loud boy, along with her brother who stood behind him.

"Hi Luke!" Akari called back with an equally enthusiastic voice. "I thought you and my brother were our chopping in Praline Woods?"

"Oh that, we're done." Grinned Takeru, giving her a thumbs up. He popped up from behind Luke. "I even got enough for us to get a coop!"

Akari widened her eyes, and took a glance at Luke. He gave her a nod. … So it was true. Giddy with excitement, she limped over to her brother and gave him a large hug.

"Haha." Takeru laughed. "I knew you would be happy." He returned her hug, and quite tightly at that.

"Oh yeah!" Suddenly exclaimed the blue-haired boy, as he held up three fingers. "Dad said that the coop would be ready in three days."

Akari's eyes twinkled, as she encased the two boys into a giant hug. "I'm so excited!" She squealed.

"Calm down Akari, you're going way too energetic. You're going to scare away all the poultry if you're still like this by the time it arrives!" Joked Takeru.

"Oh, just shut up!" She said with a huff. Akari then had a mischevious glint in her eye. She took the heel of her uninjured foot, and stabbed it onto Takeru's without remorse. "Sweet revenge." She said after with a snicker.

Luke couldn't help but stifle a chuckle, as the events unfolded in front of him. Takeru was bouncing in circles, while holding his leg. Did he mention the loud cries that were erupting? "Oh man, oh man. I should've recorded that shriek!" Laughed Luke, clutching his tummy. "Your scream was even girlier than _Juli's_,and that's saying a lot!"

Akari followed Luke's laughter as if it was contagious. She couldn't help it; both he and her brother were making her laugh too hard. It made her tummy hurt.

")#*)JD!" Cursed out Takeru, glaring down at the two suspects. He had finally calmed down.

The two felt as if they were being pushed into the corner, but Luke pointed to his watch. "A-ha, just look at the time!" He nervously sputtered, trying to escape the brown haired boy's wrath. "Your sister and I should be going to the Whipped Cream clinic now for her checkup!"

Takeru stopped dead in his tracks and thought for a moment, a confused look was plastered on his face. Whipped Cream clinic? "Wait, it isn't Whipped Cream clinic… I thought it was… Tiramisu? No… That isn't right…it's-"

"'Gotta go now, sorry!" Luke dashed off with Akari, before he could finish his sentence.

"… Luke, how could you forget the name of the Meringue clinic, if you've been practically here your whole life?!" Questioned Akari, as soon as he put her down.

"I-I don't know." He said honestly and sheepishly, staring down at the floor.

She stared back at him with a raised brow. "You're such an oddity, Luke."

Raising his head, Luke just blinked twice and shrugged. Opening the door for the brunette, he walked into the clinic right after her.

"Hello Akari, here for your weekly checkup?" Called In'ya, the clinic's secretary. "Won's just behind the screen. He's finishing his current patient."

"Thanks." She had said meekly before turning over to Luke. "You don't have to stay, you know. You can go back to the Carpenter's if you'd like."

He shook his head quickly, flashing her a grin. "Nah, it's fine. Dad gave me an off day to hang out with you and Tak. 'Sides, I'm tagging along to make sure you get out of the clinic alive."

"Mmh, if you say so." She mused. "Let's go see if he's almost done."

**TOO HARD!**

**NO! NOT THERE! THAT HURTS.**

Sounds of moaning were coming from the room.

"…" Akari had an indescribable expression on her face, as she exchanged looks with her blue haired friend. Their expressions were both priceless.

_**Is this good?**_

**YEAH! THAT'S THE SPOT! KEEP RUBBING.**

You do know that we don't have much time left until … comes…

"… Isn't that Ose?" Luke said blankly in the intermission. He had absolutely no idea what was going on.

**BAH, WHO CARES! **

Even louder moaning.

_**I'll have to stop soon.**_

**DON'T STOP NOW THOUGH. AGH! IT FEELS TOO DAMN GOOD~**

And that was it.

She snapped.

Pushing her way through the blinds, she was met with two grown men in a very peculiar position. What she saw was a maroon haired man on the bed. His face was extremely flustered, and he was topless. His muscles were way too apparent, and his shirt was slung over the chair next to him. What surprised her most was that she saw the doctor _on top_ of him, his knee was on his back. The glasses that usually adorned his face were on the table, and his long hair was not pulled back. Even his coat was not on him.

"Hey there Aaa~karieee." Slurred Ose.

Wondering if the man was sober, her mouth opened as wide as a fish, saying something inaudible. "A-am I interrupting something im-important?"

Luke followed in suit, putting a shoulder on Akari after witnessing the scene before him. "Looks like he isn't done ye-" Then, he turned around. He gaped; his eyes were as large as saucers. "W-Won? O-Ose? Y-you guys… Swing the other w-way?"

Won promptly stepped off from the bed, and placed on his glasses again. "Luke, do not make any silly assumptions."

"D-don't worry m-man, I can totally understand if you p-prefer m-men over w-women." Luke took a large step back. "NOT SAYING I DO MYSELF, I'M P-PERFECTLY STRAIGHT." He even took the liberty of drawing an imaginary line with his finger.

"Luke." Won said, his voice more stern than before.

"I SUPPORT YOU, JUST DON'T COME AFTER ME, OH GOD NO, JUST NOT ME. I-"

"LUKE!" Practically the whole island could've heard that shout.

"NOOOOOO! GO AWAY, YOU FIEND." With only a trail of dust left behind, Luke was gone from the scene. How dramatic.

Akari could barely take in what had just happened. She took a weary look at Won, who had an angry look on him, and took a large swallow to collect herself. He seemed to calm down though once Luke left. She felt a bit dizzy after what happened.

"Looks like I know what his biggest fear now is…" Mused Akari. She snapped back to reality afterwards. "Oh! So, um, Won." She said nervously, playing with her fingers. "Would it be better for me to, er, come a different time?"

"Misunderstanding." He responded coolly, shooting a glare at Akari. Apparently, since Luke was a goner, he was going to take it out on her instead. "Ose was drunk and pulled a muscle during mining. I simply gave him a massage to relieve the pain."

'I-I see." Akari spat out reluctantly after the short pause. It was obvious that she was not fully convinced.

Won sighed at her reaction. The people of the island were impossible. Running a hand through his long, black, silky hair, he thought about how much trouble the people overall were. Akari took notice of his hairs shine. She decided it was too pretty too be a guy's, and was jealous of it herself.

"… Won, have you noticed you could make a really pretty girl?" she mumbled with a head tilt. "Maybe if your eyes weren't so squinty…"

"Please stop making such statements, I am no drag queen." He then took out a brown clipboard that had her name labeled onto it from his desk. His voice held no more patience for her. "Rest your leg on this."

Akari immediately placed it onto the cushioned surface as Won inspected it. He squeezed several parts, and looked at it several times before coming to his conclusion.

"You'll be able to take off the cast and crutches in a week." He recorded the results onto his handy-dandy clipboard.

"Ah… That's good to hear." She said, bowing as best as she could without stumbling. "I'll be on my way now."

"See me next week for the final checkup, tell In'ya that." He said back at her, before she left.

"Alrighty, Madame Won." Then came a quiet snicker. "I hope you don't have any 'massage patients' before me though, because… Today was quite surprising."

**ZzzzZzzzz**

Saying that Ose didn't snore was a lie. In fact, he snored as loud as a rhinoceros.

"A-Akari." Won started to twitch, his hands shaking; a vein was popped out.

But too bad before he could do anything, Akari was long gone.

-----

"-and you know what he did after that? He ran away!"

Bursts of giggles erupted from the group, as they listened to the brunette's story.

"Woooah, who would've known that Luke was homophobic?" Laughed out the energetic blonde girl loudly, clutching her stomach.

"You can't be too sure though." Replied Leena with a few chuckles. "Maybe the scene was too disturbing for him."

"Heehee, on a different topic," chirped Mai brightly. "Chi-Chi came back today!"

"You mean Chihaya? He hasn't been here since we were kids!"

"Yeah, that's him!" Perkily said the bubbly girl. "I can't wait to see him again~~!"

Akari furrowed her brows. She thought she had met everyone already… How could she possibly remember the names of all the islanders? "Wait wait – who's this Chayaya?"

"No no! Chihaya, not Chayaua!" Scolded Mai, as if she were her mother.

"Chihaya is Mai's ex-crush…" Distantly said Leena. "Well, she might still like him." She added, giving a wink at Mai.

"Of course I do!" Pouted Mai, flailing her arms. "Chi-Chi will always be in here!" She pointed towards her heart. "I'll have to introduce you to him tomorrow, 'kay Akari? Drop by the Kirsch Inn around 4 p.m. tomorrow... That's when his training ends."

"If you say so."

The topic shifted after her four words, and she found herself listening to a sea of chatter. They could talk really fast, something that she was unused to. She definitely would have to catch up to them someday. They were currently sitting on the grassy hill at the Brownie Ranch district, just having an ordinary girls day out. It was just she, Cathy, Leena and Mai. They were people that accepted her into their group. Though she didn't quite fit in perfectly yet, it was a good start.

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

All three heads turned towards the brunette, as she gave a nervous laugh. It became apparent that she lost track of time.

"Sorry guys." She said shyly, turning off her watch. "But I have to go to my job now."

"You have a part time Akari?" Questioned Cathy, with her head turned around. "Is that why you declined my offer of working at the bar with me?"

"Yeah, I got one at the Town Hall since it didn't require me to move around all that much… Off I go though, wouldn't want a tardy." Having a noticeable frown when Cathy said those words, she shook her head. "Not really, I didn't have one at the time… I'm just not that much for alcohol, you know?" "Anyway, I reaaaalllllyyy should be going now."

She gave the small group a quick smile, before she began her rather long walk back to Waffle Town. Hopefully they wouldn't think she was too weird, with her strong dislike over drinks and everything.

-----

The clock struck 1:59, as the doors to the Town Hall burst open. The figure in the doorway was panting heavily with a hand over her chest, and an arm wrapped around her crutches.

"You're barely on time." Bluntly said the boy who stood in front of the girl. "I could've cut your pay if you were a minute or two later."

A smirk was plastered on his seemingly perfect face, as the girl returned it with a menacing glare of her own.

"Shut up Gil." She punched him in the arm, and took notice that it was only the two of them that were in the Town Hall. "Gil, where's Elli?" She asked, frustrated. There was no way that she was going to spend the next few hours alone with him.

Gil remained unresponsive, as he returned back to his desk with a blank look. So he was playing that game, eh?

"Be that way, you stubborn mule."

Still nothing. At this point of time, Akari was starting to think he was a robot. He was emotionless just like that.

Two hours had past, and the two workers were busily doing paperwork. The girl was flipping through the resident cards, making sure they were all up to date. Her eyes landed on the one that had 'Chihaya' labeled on the top. She took note of his strawberry blonde hair and penetrating purple eyes before she set it down. They were certainly very different colours, unlike her rather dull brown hair and eyes. Casting her thoughts of the boy away, she looked through the rest of the cards. She basically had everyone's favourite food down in her mind. But it wasn't like she was going to do anything with them anyway; at least, not right now. She was not going to deliver everyone's favourite dish just to earn brownie points… or would she?

The next hour came by slowly for the girl. She was bored out of her wits, since she already had everything done. Her eyes darted over to where Gil was. Perhaps he had forgotten about what she had said earlier.

"Hey Gil."

There was nothing but silence to greet her.

"Gil… I'm bored, talk to me."

"… Gil, are you listening to me?"

"Gillllllllllllllllllllllerrrs, say something!"

"…"

"Don't make me start to sing."

"… …"

"OH GILLL~ YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO~"

". . ."

"LA LA LA LA LA, ARE YOU ALIVE, GIL?~"

Snap! When she heard the loud noise, she immediately shut up. "G-Gil?"

She saw two halves of a pencil roll over to her side of the floor. Gulping, she turned over to Gil, whose back was faced at her. She picked up the pieces of the broken pencil, and repaired it with duck tape.

"Gil! Don't waste pencils!"

"Akari. You. Are. A. Nuisance. So please. Go. Away. _**Far**_away."

"Fine, you jerk..." Akari muttered under her breath. She stood up from her chair, and picked up her crutches. "I'll be at the library for my break."

She slowly climbed the wooden stairs as she stopped in front of a bookshelf. The section held information about Waffle Island. Randomly picking out a book, she sat herself by the chair that sat by the shelf. She turned the first page, which felt very crisp under her skin.

_On Waffle Island, there lives the Harvest Goddess and the Harvest Sprites. They all contribute to the island's success, and are crucial to keep the island thriving, and the Goddess tree alive. Although it may seem impossible that the tree would wither, it still is possible. Therefore a special quilt exists. It is passed down to each new mayor for safekeeping. The quilt explains what one is to do when the Goddess and sprites are powerless, and when the tree is gone._

She closed the book as soon as she finished the paragraph, and sighed. Her short break was just about to end, but she felt a bit drowsy – she shouldn't have read the book in the first place, if it was like that. . . .

_The backdrop was cold and black. Nothing could be seen except for one. The girl could see a beautiful woman clad in green. Her back held glittering and translucent wings. Something about her seemed so… magical._

_P-please… H-help… The woman called in her melodious voice._

_The girl reached over to the woman, her hand was outstretched. Before anything could happen though, the woman disappeared into the dark abyss. _

"Akari, wake up."

She remained still without a single reaction.

"Akari, wake up."

He put his hands on her shoulders to shake her awake. The girl almost instantly woke up, and blinked her chocolate brown eyes twice.

"Gil…" Yawned Akari sleepily. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep on your break, that's what." He said sternly.

Akari rubbed her eyes, as her vision steadily became clearer. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" "I had an odd dream though. First one in a while."

"Really now… and just what did you dream about?" He asked, still a bit ticked.

"Er… This really pretty woman with wings – she was telling me to help her…!"

Gil winced at the words, and took a small step back. "Wings, you say… You should tell my father that."

"Uh, and why should I tell your old man about it?" She expected Gil to get angry at her, but instead, he just shook his head.

"Just… Do it." Gil said quietly. "You should get going soon too."

Akari took a look at her wristwatch, surprised by the time. "I was sleeping for that long?!" She was starting to lose track of time more often.

"…Yeah, don't worry about it though."

Robo-Gil was no more for that moment, Akari thought, looking at the boy oddly. Giving a single wave and a thank you to him, she rushed down the stairs to get ready to go home. Gil stayed behind though, merely glancing out a window whilst holding the book Akari was previously reading.

"Is she… Really; _the __**one**_?"

-----

_H-help… Help… Help the island!_

Akari woke up with beads of swear pouring down her forehead. Her eyes darted to every corner to her room, until her eyes laid upon the clock. It was four thirty a.m. Digging herself back into her bed, she tried to make herself fall asleep again, but no avail. Getting out the comfort of her bed, she threw off her pyjamas to wear her casual clothing, and decided a walk would be best. Quietly sneaking out of the house, she did not want to disturb her sleeping brother.

Her foot hit the stone pavement, as the sound of her boots echoed throughout the barren streets. It was her first time being out the house this early. The sun had not come out yet, and the usually busy town was silent. That is, until her ears picked up a sad melody from somewhere far off. The sound had plenty of emotion pumped in; its flow was smooth and constant. Running towards the source, she had a sudden determination to find who was playing the song. As she neared where it was coming from, she found herself in the Maple Lake District. She paced towards the graveyard, and her eyes caught the ones of the other. The boy removed his mouth from the intrument as soon after he saw her, and sent her a hateful glare.

"Why'd you stop…?" Akari asked softly, ignoring the threat.

He scofffed crudely, before turning his back against her, and began to walk away. He quickly disappeared, not leaving a trace of his existence behind. Akari was once again alone and dumbfounded. Her mind was drawing blanks.

Why was he up so early? Why was he there?

Who was he?

Shaking off the cold feeling that the boy left her with, she gazed in the direction he left. Waffle Island wasn't that big. She had a feeling she would be meeting with him very soon.

But… Just how soon is soon?

-----

The sunlight shone against the lighted room, both Akari and Takeru were half awake. Takeru rubbed the back of his head rather sheepishly; he was sitting in an upright position, with his eyes closed. "I had a weird-o dream last night…" He confessed, opening his eyes to look at his sister directly, who was busy gazing outside the window.

"Really?" She responded, mildly curious. "What kind of dream?"

He then shifted into a thinking position, trying to recollect his thoughts. "I don't know…" He murmured, still deep in thought. "OH!" He finally said in realization. "It was about this green haired lady with wings!" He put one of his hands on his palm, grinning to himself.

Akari's eyes widened as the words escaped from his mouth, as her own curved into a worried frown. "Hey, Tak…" She began slowly. But stopped herself abruptly. "Never mind…" She placed an awkward smile to cover up. "But yeah, that's a pretty weird dream!"

"Aha…"

Awkward silence filled the room, until Akari decided to start making their breakfast. Humming the tune she heard from last night unconsciously, her brother sat still at the table.

"What did you do yesterday?" Piped in Akari, attempting to create a conversation.

Takeru shrugged, "Nothing really." He admitted. "Just hung out with a few girls from the neighbourhood."

"Oh?" She retorted, clearly amused. "Are you a pimp now, Tak-Tak?"

Takeru popped a vein, as he twitched in annoyance. His sister sure knew how shorten his fuse. "N-No." He winced, trying to control his temper. "W-what could possibly make you think that?"

"Mmm~" Akari sung, flipping an egg over. "Maybe because you have way more girlfriends than boyfriends?"

In turn, he just shook his head, refusing to answer her question. She would only find a way to backfire what he said if he were to answer her. Patiently awaiting his meal, he tapped his foot to make a beat for her tune. Minutes after, she slid the plate of eggs and toast in front of him. Blinking, he glanced over to her with a smirk.

"Akari, you should learn how to cook more dishes." He said bluntly. "I mean the only thing you can cook are eggs, pancakes, and rice!"

Now it was her turn to be agitated. Grunting, she pounded her fist lightly onto the table. "Would you rather cook then, Mr. Iburninstantnoodles?" She seethed sweetly. "It's rather pathetic to burn instant noodles, isn't it?"

Locking each other into a glaring contest, they stared at each other intensely. Imaginary sparks flew between them, with crackles as an added effect.

"H-Hey! It's not my fault I forgot about them on the stove!" He argued, his mouth stuffed full with eggs.

"Bah, whatever." She huffed stubbornly. "I'm going to head out now, do the dishes yourself."

Just as Takeru was about to say a word of protest, a knock was heard against their door. Akari's ears perked up at the sound, and opened the door to greet a very jolly old man.

"Herbal?" She questioned, with a raised brow. "Is there something wrong?" She took note of the sweat dripping down his forehead.

He opened up her hands, and stretched them out as he placed a soft, fluffy quilt on them. "Akari, Gil told me about what happened yesterday during work!" He said flamboyantly.

The girl blinked slowly, hugging the quilt to her chest. For some reason, it just didn't feel whole. "… What?"

"Look, I only have half of the quilt." Herbal said guiltily. "I'm pretty sure Gil knows about the other half though." Taking a peek at his wristwatch, he waved goodbye to the brunette. "Ah, look at the time, I have to go to work now!" He yelled after her, as he started to jog away relatively fast.

Akari had a bewildered expression on her face, as she fingered the quilt that laid in her hands. She felt around the side it had been ripped, and then closed the doors. Takeru snuck a look at Akari, and asked slowly, emphasizing his every word.

"Whaaat juuusstt happppened?"

She answered with a shaked head. "I think he wants me- or us, to go talk to Gil about the other half of this quilt. She held it up for him to see. "But er, I feel pretty lazy, you want to go yourself?"

In turn, he gave her a shrug. "Eh, is there really a point in rushing?" He muttered, looking bored. "'sides, I don't feel like talking to Mr. Grumps myself."

And so, their adventure was prolonged.

For now.


End file.
